Transgenic on Trial
by GeneticallyEnhanced1
Summary: Its the trial of the century! The leader of the transgenic revolution prosecuted by one Ames White...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Dark Angel_… nope.

Author's Note: You have to read _Can't Save Everyone _to understand this story.

It had been 3 days since everything went to hell in a hand basket. Everyone had been monitoring Max a little more closely since that night. Alec and Joshua insisted Max come over every night to get her mind off everything that had gone down. Their 'fun nights' ranged from TV, to movies; to dinner… they even dredged up a few pre-Pulse board games. While they both knew they couldn't exactly erase all the thoughts in her troubled mind or lift the aura of depression that hung around her, at least they could make her smile a little. Alec also put his old Manticore training to use and was also to persuade more of the transgenics to pull their weight. He had been a leader back in the day and had learned how to 'rally the troops.'

Max tried her best to enjoy herself during the 'fun nights,' but those past weeks plagued her thoughts all the time. She couldn't even begin to fathom why she had given in. Alec told her that she had probably gone through 'some kind of nervous breakdown.' It was strange to hear that. Nervous breakdowns were things that happened to other people. People who were really pushed to the edge… like she was. It didn't help that she had to face Alec and Joshua's sympathetic eyes on her all the time.

Maybe that's why she practically jumped for joy when Logan contacted her and told her to pay him a visit tonight. Logan had no knowledge of what Max had done. Despite the fact they still had the virus between them, the fact Logan was blissfully unaware of what had transpired made things actually less tense for a change. That and, Max had to admit, she had really missed his spur-of-the-moment, run-of-the-mill culinary miracles. Canned goods at Terminal City didn't even begin to compete. She knocked on his door, suddenly very impatient.

Logan opened the door fairly quickly… the distance to the door much shorter than when he was in his penthouse apartment. He couldn't hide the wide smile on his face as he greeted Max. He had missed her. "Hey," he said huskily.

"Hey," she smiled back.

"So how's the leader of the transgenic revolution?" Logan teased.

"Hungry," Max replied, walking into his house and straight to the kitchen.

Logan smiled at her brusque nature and followed. "I was hoping you'd say that. I see a Poulet chez Cale in your future." He graciously pulled out a chair for her. Max smiled at his chivalry and sat down, feeling a bit nostalgic. Well, a lot nostalgic. "Wanna help set the table?"

"Sure." Max busied herself with the table, while watching Logan prepare the chicken, vegetables, and the wine glasses with pure adoration in her eyes. He set the entrée and side dishes down on the table, then eyed her suspiciously.

"You okay? You haven't said a word," he coaxed gently.

"I'm fine. Just hungry," she lied as she dug into her meal before Logan could ask any more questions. After a moment, she looked up… thinking of something to say to fill the void. "How's Eyes Only?"

"Well you know, the same… protecting the downtrodden, fighting the good fight, blah blah woof woof…" he trailed off. Now it was Max's turn to raise an eyebrow. She knew her reasons for being evasive, why was Logan avoiding her question? Logan knew she had her suspicions now. He sighed, grabbed the dishes (now empty), and walked over to the kitchen sink; turning his back to her. "Listen…" he started as he haphazardly threw the dishes into the sink. "There's something I have to tell you, Max."

She gazed at him intently. A lump started to form in her throat as she tried to think of a million different scenarios of horrible things that could have happened in her absence.

Logan turned and faced her, propping his arms behind him on the rim of the sink. He bowed his head and nervously scratched his head. He tilted his head up and looked at Max intensely. "They found a cure," he stated simply. Max sighed in relief and a huge smiled formed at the news.

It was mid-morning by the time Max drove back to Terminal City, practically on air. She had stuck herself with the antidote, which would hopefully rid her of the virus once and for all. Logan told her that they needed a full day for her body to totally rid her of the nasty bug and then tomorrow night they could celebrate. Did she dare to be optimistic and get her hopes up again? A possible cure had already come and gone twice now. She had to let herself believe that she would be cured this time. She really needed to feel hopeful about something after all she had been through.

She parked her motorcycle on the stairs and greeted her fellow transgenics sitting at the computer console. "Hello citizens," she chirped. "What going on?"

Alec turned around to face her. "Max, maybe you should see this," he said solemnly, pointing to the television. Realizing the tone of his voice, she bounded up the stairs and watched the TV. It was another KIPH 3 news broadcast… and Max knew immediately this was bad news.

"Reports have come in about a transgenic who brutally slaughtered a local guard at Harbor Lights Medical one week ago," the reporter said. Max's heart pounded in her chest at the news. She leaned in toward the screen, intently. The news segment cut to a man Max instantly recognized at one of the other guards at the hospital.

"I'm not sure which of 'em did it. But you can be sure, it was a trannie. There were three bullet wounds straight to the chest and you gotta admit, only a trained killer could do a job like that," he said, venomously.

The news cut back to the reporter. "So there you have it. Another transgenic killer, here's Senator McKinley to talk about the new threat we continue to face…"

Max turned away from the screen, shaking slightly at what she had heard. Alec grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away from the other transgenics staring into the TV. "Max? Max, look at me," he ordered in a hushed voice. She forced herself to look at him at the urgency of his voice.

"I was a trained assassin, remember? Manticore's finest? I made sure our tracks were covered. I burned the gun. There is no way they'll ever find out, okay?" he insisted. Max relaxed a little and gave him a tight smile. She was about to thank him, when an enraged Joshua bounded up to them.

"You see? One of us… shot one of them… dead!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the TV. "But _you_-you wouldn't let me. After he-"Joshua's voice choked with emotion as he ran a hand through his long hair in memory of his unfortunate friend Annie Fischer. He recalled how badly he wanted to kill Ames White after what he did…

"Joshua, look-"Max started.

"You'll… you'll tell them, right Max?" he asked, with pleading eyes. "You find out who did this. And you make them pay," he growled with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Joshua, I-"she trailed off. Joshua sensed her reluctance.

"You'll do this, you make them pay," he insisted. It was not a question. He nodded and began to walk backwards, away from the control station. "They put us all in danger!" he practically roared, throwing up his hands and marching out of sight.

Max turned back to Alec, who was looking at her with concern. "Well… he took it just like I thought he would," she quipped.

"Hey, he doesn't have to know. Just give him the whole 'lay low', 'things'll get better' speech. He'll get over it," he babbled, elbowing Max.

"I have to tell him," she stated. Alec raised an eyebrow at her. She looked back at him. "He should know." With that, she decidedly walked back in the direction she had seen Joshua leave.

"Max! Bad idea! Baaaad idea!" he shouted back to her, waving his arm. Sighing, he stuffed the hand into his pocket. "Well… no one listens to me anyway…" he muttered.

Max found Joshua back at his apartment. He was slumped over at the couch, his head in his hand and his eyes cast to the floor. A blank canvas sat unused, while art supplies were scattered in front of him. She saw his forlorn expression and approached him nervously.

"Hey, Big Fella."

"Not in the mood to talk, Little Fella," Joshua whispered into his hand.

"Look Joshua, there's something I need to tell you," she began as she gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder. She bowed her head and bit his lip slightly. "I know who did it. I know who killed the guard…"

Joshua looked up at her and placed his hands on the arm of the sofa. "Who?" he insisted, excitedly. _"Who?"_

Max pulled her hand off of his shoulder and put it by her side. She bowed her head and nervously began to play with her hands. Then she gulped and looked into Joshua's eyes. "I did it. I killed him."

Joshua looked at her, shocked to his core. He pulled back into the chair, taking in her words. He pulled his hand through his hair again, his eyes glistening. "You-you did it…" he whispered. "_You_ were the one who stopped me! You said I couldn't… that-that they'd never stop hunting us!" he yelled, his voice rising in indignation as he threw her words back at her.

Max crawled back slightly, in fear of the giant, angry dog-man in front of her. When she found her voice, she realized she was yelling back in desperation. "I know… I _know_ what I said! And I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean it… they killed my sister. They-they" she stammered.

"Get out Max," Joshua said in a low voice.

"Joshua…" she squeaked.

_"Get out!"_ he yelled, pointing at the door. Max did as she was told.

Alec frowned as he found Max in her room, buried in her work again. He had to admit that he was feeling slightly miffed at the fact she ignored his advice again. He contemplated the fact that, for all the times he screwed up, he felt was usually right when it came to telling Max what to do. Hell he could make a mental list about all the time he was right. Telling Max it was too dangerous to be with Logan, telling her that thievery was a natural, viable, and better alternative to simply working for a living, he could go on… But underneath his arrogant sense of self-righteousness, Alec was feeling pretty bad about all the shit Max was going through. He decided it couldn't hurt to try to help soothe things over with Joshua.

He walked casually into the door of his apartment, noting a downtrodden dog-man sitting on the couch and staring into space. "Go away, Max," he stated, as if in a trance.

"Hey, do I look like I have long hair and say too much slang?" Alec jested.

Joshua took note Alec and walked from the armchair to the couch with his back facing his roommate. "Not in the mood to play, Alec." Alec pursed his lips and looked around the room. He spied Joshua's canvas and saw that he had painted another masterpiece. "Hey, what's this? Joshua #568?" he asked, playfully.

"Max," Joshua stated, looking up from his spot on the floor. He rose and ambled up to the drawing. He pointed to the top of the painting, which was a streak of white paint. "This is good. Innocence," he explained. He trailed his finger down to the bottom of the canvas. This part was smudged in black and red. "This is bad. Evil. Hate," he finished his voice low. Alec eyed the piece, taking it in. He pointed to the middle of the painting.

"Why's some of the white part smudged with the black?" he asked, though he felt he knew the answer.

"Hate. It creeps in and started to take away the good," Joshua said, grimly. Alec swallowed at his friend's words. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to face his despondent friend.

"Look Josh, that painting… it could be anyone. It could be me, hell, it could even be you," he argued.

Joshua nodded. "It's harder… when you're surrounded by hate," he agreed.

"Yea well, you know what the difference is between you and Max? There are a lot of chances… so many chances we take. Sometimes it's a bit harder to avoid all the black stuff. Hey, I could've just killed you that one time, remember?" he reminded Joshua as he recalled the time he almost killed him to retrieve his barcode for White. "Some people... they get faced with a lot more chances. And I think if that person, with all the black there, all the temptations, still keeps trying for the white, then that should count for something, right?"

Joshua understood Alec's words and nodded. He studied Alec a moment. "You love her," he stated.

Alec was taken by Joshua's words. For once, he was speechless.

The sky had just begun to change to a deep tint of blue and Max began to prepare her motorcycle. She needed to make a few repairs before visiting Logan tonight. It wasn't that she was careless with it really, but a motorcycle can only handle so many high speed chases without needing some TLC. Alec hung back in the distance as he watched Max tune up her Ninja. Why was this suddenly more nerve-racking than taking down a Familiar?

At last he took a breath and walked toward Max. He was thinking of something witty to say, when oil began to pour over Max's face. She immediately began cursing and pounding on the tank. Alec tried to cover his mouth, but he chortled anyway. Max scooted out from under her bike and rose to face Alec.

"Something funny to you?" she challenged as she reached for a washcloth.

"Yeah, no… it's a good look for you," Alec teased. Max wiped her face and sighed.

"What do you want, Alec?"

"Nothin'… nothin'… just curious about what community service act you've been conned into now," he fabricated, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Alec," she retorted. He raised an eyebrow in response. Max stayed silent, gripped her handlebars, and mounted her bike. Then she pulled out her glasses and looked down. "We may have found a cure," she said into the glasses.

Alec couldn't help but feel… irritated. Her persistence at the whole virus-thing was, to his mind, beginning to become just ridiculous. After all their failed attempts, all Logan's brushes with death, you'd think she'd know when to call this thing quits. And what exactly did Logan have that he didn't? Alec realized he knew the answer to that.

Logan was all about fighting for the downtrodden, helping the less fortunate. He put his life on the line to help others… willingly even. He was a hero, even a saint at times. For all the times he had helped protect others, Alec knew what Max still thought of him. It wasn't just Ben, the 'brother' she had killed. It was Manticore. Darkness. And Max wanted to get away from Manticore more than anything.

But, he reasoned, she couldn't. It would _always_ be with her. No matter how much she tried to run, deny it, or cover it up with good deeds. _That_, he realized, is what he could offer her. An understanding that Logan could never give her. Mustering up his courage, Alec stood in front of her bike and grabbed her handlebars before she could press the gas.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" he said coldly.

Max sighed and pulled at her brake. "No."

"Why not? You told me… hell you even told Joshua," he challenged, pacing in front of her. "Aren't you guys supposed to be… y'know… lovers? Kindred spirits and what not?" he asked, rolling his eyes at the last part.

"Not that its any of your business, but there are things about me that I don't really want Logan to know," Max stated through clenched teeth.

"Yea sure, that makes sense," he nodded. "I mean you at least told him about Ben, right?" he pressed, shrugging his shoulders.

Max said nothing.

He felt a little surprised at her response and gauged her reaction. She suddenly looked very perplexed and solemn. He frowned slightly and walked beside her. "Max… you know that's part of who you are," he told her softly, as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Max's expression changed and she suddenly became volatile, slapping his hand away. "I told you me and Logan are none of your business," she fumed. She revved her engine and took off before Alec could say anything else.

Pieces of their conversation whirled through Max's head as she drove to Logan's house. She vehemently tried to push his words out of her mind or at least rationalize any good arguments he had made… _He's wrong. Logan and I are fine. There's no reason to complicate things._ _We're going to be together and things will be like they've always been. _She shook her head as she climbed up the porch and knocked on his door.

"Hey," Logan said with a smile as he opened the door.

"Hey," she smiled back at him. She jumped a bit as lightning cracked behind her, giving off a loud, reverberating peal of thunder.

"Whoa, you better come in. Looks like its really coming down. We better get you into some dry clothes," he suggested, noting her appearance.

Max had hardly noticed the rain as she was driving up to Logan's and she was surprised to see that she was soaked. From her hair down to her boots, she was dripping water. Wondering how she could have been so unaware of the weather conditions, she shrugged off her jacket onto the couch. Boy, now she really did feel cold. She looked over to see Logan attempting to start a fire nearby at the fireplace. After a few moments, he was successful and stood in triumph.

"Ahhh, that'll keep us warm," he announced, proudly.

Max sat on the arm of a nearby chair, rubbing her hands together to keep warm. Logan noticed she looked cold and walked up to her. "Here," he said, taking his hands in his and rubbing them together to generate body heat.

She smiled at first, then her eyes became wide as she remembered the bug between them. "Logan!" she cried, standing abruptly. Logan stumbled backwards as he was reminded of the virus too. He put up his hands to calm Max.

"It's okay! It's okay! Now… we wait…" he offered, noting their recent attempt to get rid of the virus. He sat down on the couch opposite to her chair and they stared at each other with frightened looks in their eyes. After a few minutes of fidgeting and looking terrified, Logan stood and walked to the kitchen. "I'm-I'm going to distract myself…" he stammered.

He walked over to the kitchen and began to stir the pasta sitting on the stove. Then he turned to see Max standing behind him. He knew what she was thinking. The effects of the retro-virus were instantaneous and Logan wasn't exactly keeling over on her. They were… cured. "Logan," she said softly.

Logan didn't say anything. He walked over to her, gently held her face in his hands and kissed her. After a second, Max returned the kiss, pulling him in closer. They pulled away for a moment and laughed. Then they began to attack each other with their mouths. The momentum was a bit too much and they tumbled onto the couch. They began grasping and pawing at each other like wild animals, desperate for the intimacy that had eluded them for two years. "I love you Max," Logan whispered as he began kissing her neck.

Now should have really been Max's turn to say "I love you," but suddenly the conversation came back in her head. What if… what if Alec was right? If Logan really knew what she was, would he still love her? What if everything he was telling her, everything he was doing for her, to her... was all because of a lie? At that thought, Max gently pulled away from him and stood up. A bit startled, Logan pulled upright and looked at Max quizzically. "Max? What's wrong?" he asked, feeling a bit hurt.

"Logan… there's something I have to tell you," she said, wringing her hands.

"Max, whatever it is… we can worth through it. We're together. You don't have to worry," he smiled as he began to approach Max, misconstruing her reluctance for a fear of intimacy.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say," she replied coarsely, her eyes suddenly glistening. Logan's frown disappeared. Max looked down, no longer able to meet Logan's eyes. She turned her back to him and gestured at the television set. "Seen the news lately?" she said, a little tongue-in-cheek.

Logan knew the allegations made by the guard on KIPH 3 were serious and a threat to the whole transgenic movement. He scratched his head as he tried to think of a way to allay her fears. "It's alright, Max. You'll find whoever did this and…"

"I did it," she stated simply. She nervously gazed up to see his reaction.

"What?" Logan said, clearly feeling uncomfortable at how the conversation going.

"You heard me, I killed that guard," she said, a bit more harshly. "It was easy. Straight to the chest, just like they taught me."

Logan's brows knitted in concern for Max. He knew she had probably done it to save her family… and that it was killing her inside. "Max, it's okay. She was your sister," he comforted her, drawing her inside a hug. Max accepted the hug for a moment, and then she angrily shoved him backwards.

"No, no, you _don't_ get it! You can't understand this! I did it. It was cold. It was efficient. And-and I was _happy_ to do it, okay?" she blurted as she walked in front of Logan, drawing him backwards.

He gulped; suddenly feeling nervous as Lydecker's words came flooding back to him. _They were designed to kill. Coldly...efficiently...and happily._ Max saw the look in his eye. He was fearful, shocked, even disgusted. As she felt the pain rip through her chest, she decided to continue. "And guess what? He's not the only one I've killed," she confessed, her hands shaking. "You were right all along, Logan. I am a genetically enhanced killing machine. I even killed my own brother for god's sake.' At those last words, Max felt hot tears dripping down her face. Her anger began to soften as she turned away from him.

Thoughts whirled through Logan's head as he took in Max's words. He felt guilt at the name he used to call Max so long ago. He felt sympathy for all the pain she had gone through. And yes, he couldn't help feeling fear and uncertainty from what he had learned. What could he say to her? "Max," he started, fumbling for his words.

"Just… just stay away from me, Logan," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. She fled through the door before he could stop her. Logan started to follow her, when he felt a spark on his legs. He realized, in horror that his exoskeleton was malfunctioning again. He collapsed to the floor, helpless to go after the fleeing X5.

Max swiped at her eyes as she tried to stop the tears from flowing. She wheeled her motorcycle alongside her, racked with self-pity and wondering how the evening could have possibly gone worse.

"Put your hands in the air!" a voice bellowed. She heard the click of a gun behind her and complied. "Max Guevara, you are under arrest for the murder of Matt Richardson."

Max sighed in exasperation. She just had to wonder, didn't she?


	2. Guilty as Charged

Author's Note: I would just like to note that Max isn't really being a 'drama queen' here. Even though our buddy Alec got rid of all the solid evidence against her, many, many people in criminal cases have been convicted on the grounds on circumstantial or weak evidence. Take a Criminology class… soooo interesting. The use of the electric chair _is _pretty rare, though. That, I'll admit, just seemed to fit into Max and Alec's unique transgenic sense of humor. ;)

Chapter 2: Guilty as Charged

Original Cindy and Sketchy returned to Jam Pony after their 4th run of the day. Lately however, their minds really weren't on delivering packages to their apathetic recipients. They kept up with the news on the transgenic front, worrying about their transgenic friends in the middle of everything. Sketchy had proudly taken it upon himself to bring the public the truth about the transgenics in New World Weekly. He had actually gained something of a following with the few sympathizers to the cause. He took his job fairly seriously and even learned to resist using epithets like 'transgenic babes.' Normal was also proud to be an advocate for the genetically empowered. Part of his change in attitude was helped by the notoriety Jam Pony suddenly gained. Jam Pony was suddenly a household name. "Bigger than UPS back in the day," he liked to brag.

Original Cindy seemed to be the only one who didn't exploit her advocacy to the transgenic cause for any kind of gain. Instead she constantly worried about the transgenics, especially Max. Every night she returned to her apartment to see Max's empty room and prayed that she would be alright. On this particular afternoon, Original Cindy was telling her worries to Sketchy, her unlikely but loyal confidant.

"Somethin's up. I just know it. I haven't heard from her in days," she sighed as she rode in.

"You said yourself… they're soldiers. I'm sure Max and the others doing their transgenic thing; fighting the good fight and kickin' ass," he smirked as he put an arm around his concerned friends.

"My girl can kick ass, but trouble follows her around like the tail on a dog. I gotta figure something's happened," she sighed, worriedly.

"Hey, our girl's fine. She's the leader of the revolution… she can handle it. I promise," Sketchy said, optimistically. At that moment, they noticed that everyone at Jam Pony had gathered around the television set again. They recognized the KIPH 3 news team and Original Cindy scowled at Sketchy.

"That promise expired already, Pinnochio?

The reporter stood in front of a large, dilapidated prison. "Reports have come in that the leader of the Transgenic Resistance, 452, has been detained at the Langford Prison. Details are sketchy at this time, but officials have told us she's been accused of murder in the first degree. We turn to Trisha for this exclusive story."

"Damn," Original Cindy breathed.

Max paced her cell anxiously like a wild animal. She was the one who told everyone to stay and fight. She was the one who thought everyone they should stop running and hiding. She made them take the risk. And now… she really messed everything up. She suddenly became alert and she heard the door of the prison swing open. She didn't trust the guards that stood over her cell. They had initially roughed her up with tazers when they first brought her to prison and, once they found out who she was, she wasn't the most beloved celebrity on the cell block either. She was even being held in her own isolated cell, since she was deemed as more of a threat. _They **will** find out what a threat I am if they try anything,_ Max thought as she stood ready to defend herself as the footsteps grew louder.

She breathed out and relaxed when she saw Original Cindy and Sketchy approach her cell.

"Hey boo," Original Cindy greeted her and stuck her hand through the bars.

Max managed a smile and squeezed her hand tightly. "Hey."

"How are they treating you here?" OC asked sympathetically. Max had to feel a little touched that that was Original Cindy's primary concern. She pondered the best way to answer that question.

"It's not exactly the Ritz," she quipped as she tugged at the chain on her foot. "Now I know how Martha Stewart felt," she teased, trying to cheer her obviously downtrodden friends.

"Not to worry Max… this'll all be in New World Weekly. 'Wrongfully accused Transgenic Babe Freed by the Power of Truth' courtesy of the Sketchmeister," Sketchy boasted.

"If only," Max said, looking down at the floor.

Original Cindy noted that Max had dropped the pretenses and coaxed her, gently. "What do you mean?"

Max looked around to see if there were any guards or monitors surrounding the block, then she dropped her voice to a low whisper. "I killed him."

Original Cindy and Sketchy were taken aback at her words. They were silent for a moment as they took in this new, unexpected information. Then Original Cindy began to collect herself. Sketch, never really knowing Max's sordid past, still appeared baffled. He knew the X series were designed as soldiers, but he found it hard to connect 'killer' to Max. "You mean, y-you-" he began.

"Shhhh!" Cindy and Max whispered harshly. Noting OC's defense, Max looked at her quizzically. "They killed one of you, didn't they?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Max nodded. "My sister," she answered, staring down and boring holes into ground so she wouldn't get emotional. "Hey, well the public got what they wanted… a transgenic killing machine," she quipped, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm not even trying to hear that," Cindy shot back. "They killed your sister in cold blood. Hell, most people woulda done the same thing in your situation," she argued, thinking about what she would have done had someone threatened Max in front of her.

"Maybe not as expertly," she said under her breath, reliving the moment. The truth was, however, that Original Cindy's words were oddly comforting.

Sketchy scratched his head in confusion. "Sisters? Thought you were all test tube babies…" he inquired, wishing he'd paid more attention in his high school biology class.

"My unit," she tried to explain as she scratched the bars absently in thought. "A dying breed," she added in realization. Caught up in her thoughts, Max pushed herself backwards into the cell and began pacing again. "There was Eva… Tinga… Ben… screwed up Zach pretty good… Jondy… and, hey, soon they'll have themselves a transgenic barbeque."

"Stop it," Original Cindy said harshly at her words. "We're gonna get you out of here. By the time we're through with you, transgenics will seem about as terrifying as Ms. Butterworth," she teased. Max had to laugh a little at that one.

At that moment one of the guards approached them. "Time's up!" he announced. "Oh and ma'am?" he addressed Original Cindy. "I'd advise you to maintain 5 feet from these creatures at all times."

Original Cindy scowled at his harsh words and grabbed Max's hand in defiance. "Stay strong," she urged her friend.

Max squeezed her hand back. "Thanks," she told her; though the word seemed small it was all she could think to say.

Although he was still assessing his friend's complicated life, Sketchy also felt himself flinch at the guard's hateful rhetoric. Max knew from the look in his eyes that Sketchy was analyzing her. She gazed at him, refusing to break eye contact as he stood watching her. Finally Sketchy gave her a half smile and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Take care of yourself, Max," he said as he walked away.

"I will," Max whispered back as she slumped against the bars and watched them go. She couldn't help but miss the old days when she could go back and relax at Crash. Her life was never stress-free, but she'd take it over being on Death Row any day. Her longing for the good old days intensified when she heard footsteps approaching again. And this time, she knew visiting hours were over…

She squirmed uncomfortably as three guards loomed over her. "Hey guys, can I get some curtains in here? I know it'd break the whole 'dilapidated prison theme' you have going here but-"

"Shut up, Trannie," one of the burlier guards interrupted. "Your kind seems to have something against our kind, so we've got a problem with _your_ kind," he said menacingly, apparently not forgetting Joshua's brother Issac's killing spree all those months ago.

Max began struggling against the shackle on her leg as the guards opened her cell, each brandishing their own stick. Reacting quickly, she began blocking their advances with her arms and kicking them away with one leg. Then the shorter guard behind her shoved his tazer right into her back and she fell to the ground in pain. Weakened the shock she weakly pulled up her arms to prevent the barrage of sticks coming down upon her. Suddenly, a voice cried out and the guards began to disperse.

Max propped herself up with her arms and spotted her apparent savior. He was a tall, thirty-something guard with short brown hair and small green eyes. He didn't look very robust compared to some of the other guards, but his demeanor and posture commanded respect. The guards began exiting the cell guiltily.

"The prisoner is under _my_ supervision. You will not enter her cell again," he ordered the guards as they left hurriedly. "Next time I'm reporting you all to the chief!" He then turned to Max, who had managed to get up and had situated onto the bed on the right of her cell. "You alright, 452?"

"My name's Max. And I'm fine," she said tersely, understandably wary around this new guard.

The guard eyed her suspiciously and patted his stick against his hand. "Don't want you to think I'm your friend or anything. I want you trannies to get what's coming to you like everyone else out there."

"Great. Thanks for that," she scowled as she scratched her leg.

"Max huh? Thought you were designed with numbers… didn't have names," he inquired.

"Yea, well, 'scuse me for trying to be human," she quipped, a bit offended.

"No it's not that… it's just… Max is a guy's name," he explained. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why the ambiguity of her name was an issue at all. The guard laughed and looked at the ground. "My name's Max."

"Well, 'Max', don't you have a wife and kids to go home to?" Max couldn't help but be amused by the guard's name, she preferred her solitude over the company of this cop with… questionable integrity.

"Nope," he answered his face suddenly solemn. "They disappeared about a month ago out of the blue. No trace of them anyway. No phone calls, no message, no nothing. So here I am… volunteering to guard a dangerous transgenic all night," he finished, laughing harshly at his predicament.

"I'm sorry," Max told him, seriously.

"Yea well, how 'bout you make my job easier and get some shut-eye? Got a big day tomorrow" he offered.

Now it was Max's turn to laugh. "Yea that'd be nice. Truth is I don't sleep. Shark DNA or something I guess…"

The guard was silent for a moment. "Must be hard, huh?" he asked. "You can never escape all your worries. Even for a few hours…"

"Yea, it is," Max nodded.

Max felt extremely uncomfortable as she felt the gaze of hundreds of witnesses. She straightened up and focused on walking down the aisle of the courtroom. Max the guard led her to her table at the end of the room. As she pulled out the chair and looked over at her attorney she had to crack a smile. It was Logan.

"Logan Cale, attorney-at-law… and I thought I was the only one who lied on my résumé," she teased.

"I called in a few favors," Logan smiled, smugly.

"Yea well, I hope you can play the part pretty well. It's gonna take a lot of fancy jargon to get me outta this mess," she informed him as she reached for the pitcher of water on the table. "Do we know whose prosecuting?"

Max nearly dropped the pitcher as he question was answered. Ames White, decked out in a suit and carrying a large briefcase, strolled over to the table next to hers and sat down. Max and Logan stared at him with wide eyes. "Shit," Max muttered under her breath.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who knows how to call in a favor," Logan said, uncomfortably.

"Nope, he's legit. Ames has the degree and everything," she explained to Logan, never taking her gaze off her nemesis. The sound of the gavel banging broke her gaze as she took note of the judge presiding over her case.

"Let's begin with the opening statements," he stated, sounding almost bored despite everything.

Ames stood and faced the audience. "Your honor, my goal is to prove to the court that 452 is not only guilty of the murder of Mr. Richardson, but to prove that these… transgenics are creatures devoid of any moral conscience. They are dangerous creatures that were bred in test tubes and designed to kill. They are a menace to society and need to be stopped before more honest, decent people are killed by their hands. Only by ridding ourselves of these… plagues… can we once again become a peaceable society." White then sat down and smirked at 452. She quickly picked up her glass and pretended to act indifferent to his speech. She didn't want him to know that she was fully aware he had all the cards on the table.

Logan, sensing her nervousness, stood ready to prove his competence to her. He gave her a small smile as he approached the bench. "Your honor, I would like to prove to this court that transgenics aren't that different from you and me. Contrary to what the media says, they aren't brutal killing machines. The truth is, trasngenics try to get by and become decent people, despite being beaten down and tortured all their lives, despite being chased and constantly running for their lives, despite feeling hatred everywhere around them. They have to struggle a bit harder to become decent people… to become human. So when they manage to succeed, when they conquer all that, you can say they're different from us. They're better. Max Guevara is proof that transgenics should not be hated by the public, but respected… even admired."

Max smiled at Logan, touched by his heartfelt speech. For once, she started to feel optimistic. She was so lucky to have Logan at her side. He had truly accepted her for who she was, despite all she confessed. For once she actually felt… lucky. Her positive thoughts were broken by Ames's strong voice filling up the courtroom.

"I call David Russell to the stand," he announced. Max recognized one of the guards from that night take the stand.

"Mr. Russell, can you tell the court exactly what happened last night?" White asked.

"Well, sir, me and Richardson were on duty… guarding the hospital. An outside source said some of them trannies needed meds and I'd be a good place to catch 'em if they try. So I... did my duty and volunteered for the assignment." Max had to roll her eyes at his sense of 'patriotism.' "I didn't really see them sneak up on us… they're tricky, yknow. Them transgenics. Next thing I know, three shots ring out and I see my good buddy lying in a pile of blood."

"You're sure the assailant was a transgenic?"

"Hell yea I'm sure! Ain't no one I know who could sneak up on trained professional and shoot so clean," he scowled, glaring at Max.

Logan approached the bench to cross-examine the witness. "Mr. Russell… did you actually see my client fire any shots?"

"N-no sir, but I know it was her!" he insisted.

"Mr. Russell, you attended a rally against transgenics last week, correct?"

Russell was silent. "I remind you that you are under oath, Mr. Russell," Logan coaxed.

Russell squirmed in his seat and darted his eyes at White. "Yes sir."

"What was the group called?"

"CCATT… Concern Citizens against the Transgenic Threat," he admitted.

"So you expect this court to believe that you, someone who publicly advocates against transgenics, didn't just fabricate this story to get them locked up? To make the streets a little safer?" Logan challenged.

"No! It was them! It was one of them transgenics!" he insisted.

"Mr. Russell, you may step down," the judge ordered him.

Max and Logan smirked triumphantly at White. Unfortunately, Ames had an ace up his sleeve they were not aware of…

"Your honor, I call Mrs. Alanzo to the stand," White announced. A rotund, wide-eyed woman with a tangled mess of hair took the stand, looking very distraught. "Mrs. Alanzo, can you tell the court exactly what happened to her husband?"

"My husband was… on death row. He sent me a letter that said he was going to be transferred to another facility. Was called… Manny Core?"

"Manticore," White corrected her.

"Yes, and then I didn't hear from him anymore! I call this Man-ti-core and ask 'where is my husband?' They don't answer. Finally, someone in Manticore helps me and shows me the photographs… I…" she trailed off.

"What were on these photographs, Mrs. Alanzo?"

"They-they ripped him apart! They tore at his arms and took out his teeth! These… transgenics…" she cried and buried her head in her hands.

"And how old were these transgenics when this happened?"

"They say… they were nine years old." Max felt a huge lump in her throat as she played back that day in her head. She didn't even consider the desperate man they'd killed might have a family out there somewhere.

"Ahhh, let's see. So whereas our kids are doing ballet and riding ponies, these transgenics are killing people at the tender age of nine," White addressed the court. "Are these the type of people we want living among us in society?" He turned to Max. "Your honor, I call 452 to the stand."

Max took the stand with a defiant look in her eye. "Now… 452-"

"Max," she interrupted him.

"Your name is Max? Well, that's funny… the designer label around your neck says otherwise," he taunted, causing a few members of the audience to laugh.

Max's face grew slightly read with anger. "My name is Max," she insisted, her voice rising.

"Mr. White, I'll remind you not to antagonize the witness. If she wants to be called… Max, please refer to her as such," he instructed White. Max smiled at her small victory.

"Fine… Max. Have you ever killed anyone?" Max's breath caught in her throat at his question. She had to lie. She had to protect them all.

"No," she said, convincingly.

"So you and your unit didn't catch Mr. Alanzo and tear him apart that day? Well… that's odd. There's a picture here," he explained shuffling through the photos he had. "… there's a girl where who looks an awful lot like you." He found the picture of Max and flashed it in her face.

"Tell me Max, did you enjoy killing Mr. Alanzo?"

"No," she repeated coldly.

"Did it feel good doing it? So easily… so professionally…" he pressed on.

"I didn't do it…" she whispered, her eyes growing wider as he tormented her with the memory.

"Do you think about it every night? How you murdered Mr. Alanzo in cold blood? How he screamed when you took him apart?"

"Yes… _Yes!_" Max exclaimed, her eyes begging for him to stop. "I'm sorry, okay?" she looked around at the stunned faces in the audience. "You don't understand… what they made us do…"

"That's enough Miss Guevara," the judge interrupted. "You may step down."

Cursing herself a million times for giving into White's psychological torture, a nerve-racked Max went back to her chair. She sighed and put her head in her hands. So much for public sympathy. She looked over at Logan. He was her only hope right now, though she really doubted that even Eyes Only could pull out a miracle at this point…


	3. Friend, Hero, and Receiver of Prophecies

Spoilers: Ha… that's sounds weird when I'm talking about a show that was cancelled years ago! Anyway, my version of The Coming is inspired by what the writers said it was in the commentary of Freak Nation. So if you were just planning on buying those DVDs one day, you'll find out what would have happened. (Seriously I got it for 20 bucks…)

Chapter 3: Friend, Hero, Receiver of Prophecies

Unfortunately the second day of prosecution didn't fare that much better. It seemed Ames White had managed to find a couple of shopkeepers who had footage of Max robbing the place. This was, of course, back in the days when Max used to rip off places for a little extra pocket change. Any plea Logan made that Max was reformed seemed to fall on deaf ears. After all, they already had Max on a perjury charge for initially lying about Mr. Alanzo. She wasn't really coming off as the most honest character.

All this was working out very well for one Ames White. It wasn't just the fact that he had convinced the public that mutants were dangerous, dishonest creatures who didn't belong in civilized society… he had a much bigger agenda. The Coming was just days away and the public was blissfully unaware they were locking up their potential savior. This could not be going more perfectly for the Conclave. He couldn't help smirking at the helpless X5 as he destroyed her life and lives of her transgenic army.

As for the army… they were none too pleased by how the trial of X5-452 was going. Terminal City was extremely tense, with many turning against their leader who had urged them to stay and fight.

"We should just make a run for it and mow down anyone who tries to stand her our way," Mole suggested.

Alec gazed at the television set as if in a trance. "We haven't even heard the defense speak, yet," he said, rather blasé.

The lizard man chewed his cigar in anger. "_She's_ the one who screwed this thing up! I say let them have her. She was careless!" At those words, Joshua turned and growled at Mole. He started to approach him angrily.

Alec rushed between the pair. "Josh, Josh… calm down. We're all a little tense, but if we just wait…"

"Wait! We can't wait anymore! We're out of options. You can just give up hope for your little X5 friend; she's as good as dead!" Mole shouted, shoving Joshua away and going about his business. Joshua looked at Alec with a forlorn expression on his face.

"Mole is right Alec," Joshua admitted to himself, his eyes brimming with tears. "And I told her to go away…"

Alec put his hands on Joshua's shoulders. "Josh, Josh… calm down. Max won't die in jail," he said defiantly. "I'm not gonna let that happen…" With that Alec took off toward the exit of Terminal City. It was only after he faded into the night that Joshua allowed a single tear to fall from his face.

Max felt almost sick to her stomach with worry as she paced her cell that night. Logan had assured her that his defense would help. He would do everything in his power to make sure she was free. She wanted to have hope in Logan… she really did. She kept reminding herself that Logan had gotten her out of many jams, but she still had that feeling of despair deep in the pit of her stomach. Sighing, she sat down on her bed.

She frowned as she heard footsteps approach her cell. Annoyed by whoever was disturbing her solitude, Max pulled her hand down her face and sighed heavily. "Could use a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on one of these things!" she called out, irritated.

"Now that's no way to treat a guest," Alec said, slyly walking up to her cell.

"Alec!" Max rose to greet him, relieved to see her friend for a change.

"Cozy place you got here," Alec teased, regarding her cell. "Just like back home," he added, reminiscing briefly about Manticore.

"Yea, it's a real Taj Mahal," she remarked, and then she looked to the floor and took a breath. "Look Alec, I know why you're here…"

"Yea, saving your _ass_ for a change," he said as he started to pick the lock on her cell.

"Well don't," Max said, grabbing his wrist in protest. "Logan's still got a few tricks up his sleeve... we just have to wait."

"Wait?" Alec laughed incredulously. "I mean, let's face it, Logan's no Johnnie Cochran and even if he was, you know the public's just waiting to grill themselves a transgenic."

"Maybe," she reluctantly agreed, having thought over the situation about a million times. "But at least it'll seem legit in the public's eyes. At least they won't think we're… cowards. That counts for something, right?"

Alec looked at Max, his eyes brimming with tears. "Max…" he protested.

"Hey," Max stopped him, putting her hand to his cheek. "You're in charge now, okay? You have to keep them together. Promise me you will?"

Alec gulped and clasped Max's hand. "I promise," he said firmly. He turned to leave, but then hesitated. He pursed his lips in thought and turned back to Max. "Just in case I'll have someone stand at the top of the Space Needle. You can see it from your cell," he explained gesturing to her cell window. "If you need us, you know what to do," he added, speaking of old Manticore tactics.

"Thanks," she smiled slightly at him. She watched him as he walked out of the prison. A moment later Max the guard walked up to her cell, his hand stuffed in his pockets and a contemplative look on his face.

"He was there to break you out, wasn't he?" he asked, not hiding behind pretenses.

"Yea," she answered softly.

"But you didn't let him, despite everything…" he realized, studying Max. She laughed and stared at the bars in front of her.

"Kinda stupid, huh?"

"No… no…" he protested. "Actually, took a lot of… integrity." He gave Max a forced grin. She could see that he trying, unsuccessfully, to cover up his emotions.

"You, alright?"

"Yea… yea I'll be fine," he said, then propped himself against the wall opposite Max's cell. Then after a beat, "Took in a kid today. Young kid who lives in my neighborhood. Sweetest kid you've ever seen. So polite." He had a far off look in his eyes. Then he cleared his throat and started to pace in front of Max's cell.

"Then the dad leaves him, the mom becomes a junkie, and bam! I have to arrest this kid for armed robbery. It was just weird, you know? Such a sweet kid…" Max said nothing but listened intently to the guard's soliloquy. He regarded Max again, and then grabbed hold of one of the bars on the far side of her cell. "Made me think. Some really bad stuff would have to happen to make a nine-year-old kill a man…"

Max was taken slightly aback at his words. "Yea," she answered softly.

"I gotta know… that stuff Eyes Only said? About being beaten, training, propaganda…"

"It was all true. I'm not sure you'd believe me…"

"I believe you," he answered forcefully. She gave him a half-smile. The guard tapped his keys lightly against her bars and let out a soft sigh. "Good night, Max," he told her as he turned away.

"Night," Max answered as she watched the enigmatic guard walk off.

Logan smiled as his client sat down at her seat on the morning of the trial. Despite his lack of experience, he actually thought he had a good case for her. If only he could transfer some of his enthusiasm to Max. Though she attempted to look optimistic, Logan knew her long enough to see the despair etched on her features. He sighed and shuffled his papers. He then rose and stood before the judge. "I call Maria Williams to the stand."

Max was perplexed as she watched a young girl with long blonde hair take the stand. It took her a moment to recognize the girl she had met and later rescued in at the Langford Prison almost two years ago.

Logan began his testimony, "Would you state your name for the record?"

"Maria Williams," she stated, with some nervousness apparent in her small voice.

"Maria, do you know my client?"

"Yea, her name's Max," Maria said, smiling slightly in Max's direction.

"Where do you know her from?"

"The Langford prison. I took care of her there. She was sick," she explained.

"Would you describe my client as dangerous or vicious in any way?"

"No," she said, more forcefully. "Not at all."

"So how would _you_ describe my client?"

She took a breath. "Max saved me. The warden at the prison took care of me. He was… abusive," she said softly, her voice choked with emotion. "If it wasn't for her, I don't know where I'd be…"

Seeing that Maria was overwhelmed with her past memories, Logan stopped his interrogation. "Thank you Maria. You may step down."

Max was pleased that young Maria seemed to be doing well despite everything that had happened to her. She wondered what other character witnesses Eyes Only had accumulated. So few of them actually knew who was working behind the scenes… Impressed, she shook her head and regarded the next witness on the stand. He was a tall man with graying red hair in maybe his late 40s. She had no recollection of every meeting him. Curious, she listened closely to figure out who this guy was.

"State your name for the record please," Logan asked.

"Brian O'Grady."

"Are you married, Mr. O'Grady?"

"I was. Nora was… the love of my life. She was coming t'meet me back in Kerry, but- she never came." he explained.

"Can you explain to the court what happened to your wife?"

"I didn't know. I didn't receive any phone call, message, letter… but then I saw, Eyes Only. The journalist on the television. He said that Mr. Joel Solinski was throwing people overboard his ship. I went to the contact room… I had to know if he had killed me' wife, me' beautiful wife. And yes… she was on the ship…" Mr. O'Grady became emotional and put his hand over his eyes as he let out a gentle sob.

"Do you know what happened to Mr. Solinski?"

"Eyes Only contacted me. He told me that he had brought justice to me and me' wife. It was her," he said, pointing to Max. "He told me that she had stopped him from throwin' his human cargo overboard."

"Do you consider Eyes Only a reputable source?"

"Of course he be' reliable! He's the only reliable one out there! He told me about my wife… and I believe him. If he says this girl here helped stop that bastard Solinski, I believe him. Please, show mercy to this girl. She brought me peace… she brought us all peace."

"Thank you Mr. O'Grady."

Max grinned broadly. It was really nice to see what her involvement in Eyes Only had accomplished. Max watched with renewed interest as Logan brought a number of characters from their missions to the stand. There was Sage, the young boy whose family was persecuted by racist hoodlums during the Pulse, people affected by mob bosses like Sonrisa, Rain, the young punk she had rescued from Marrow, the transgenic 'vampire,' and even a few of the young girls who she prevented from being flown to a brothel on the other side of the world.

That night, Max and Max the guard had another one of their nightly chats. The guard had, of course, played close attention to the trial of his prisoner. Max was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees while deep in thought. She was wondering what, if any, effect these witnesses would have to the public's eye. She wasn't naïve enough to think they would let her off, of course. Still all her good deeds should have counted for something, right? Max the guard walked up casually to her cell and propped his elbow on the bar nonchalantly. "Was pretty impressive… what you did," he told her, trying to make his voice as indifferent as possible.

She shrugged. "Thanks. Hope some other people think so too…"

The guard looked at her for a moment, and then his brows knitted in confusion. He squinted his eyes, intently focused on… something. "So, what? You're sneaking off to see a tattoo artist during the night?"

Now it was Max's turn to be confused. "What?"

"Those tattoos you got on your arm… they've changed."

Alarmed, Max ripped her glove off her hand. She looked at her wrist; amazed to se Max was right. The symbols _had_ changed. She began rolling up her sleeves. She noted that even more symbols had appeared all over her arms. She leapt off the bed and rolled up her pant leg to see even more. She fingered the markings curiously, trying to remember what each symbol meant.

"Hey… you okay? Man, you've got more symbols than the pyramids, girl," Max quipped, concerned.

"Oh my God… this is so, so bad…" she whispered.

Logan noticed a change in Max the next day. She didn't look quite as despondent as the other day. If he was right, he was reading an emotion Max rarely displayed. She seemed… nervous. Logan had to pry his focus from Max to avoid any suspicion that they had any kind of relationship. He couldn't figure out why she was so antsy. She kept clawing at her hand and didn't even appear to paying attention to the witnesses he had amassed. The current witness, Sketchy, had even dressed up in a suit to appear more sophisticated.

Unaware of Max's disinterest, Sketch was explaining their friendship with much zeal. "Well, I wasn't even aware that Max was a fine transgenic till a few months ago. I didn't actually witness her doing the superhero thing, but I know she probably saved me from some stupid stuff I got mixed up in. Gangsters… dominatrix girlfriends… the usual…"

"Thank you, Mr. Theodore. I call Miss Cynthia McEachin to the stand."

Original Cindy took the stand. With all Max was going through, she was glad that she could step up and help her girl.

"Max isn't just my friend, she's my sister. Maybe I've never had a government agency on my ass, but I've run into my share of trouble. These big super soldiers came after me once. Shoulda seen my girl kick em' into next Tuesday. She coulda died too, but that didn't stop her. I wish y'all could see her like I do. She's not just some supersoldier with a wack childhood. She's a hero, a friend, and the best person I know," she stated, smiling warmly at the transgenic in front of her.

"Thank you Miss McEachin. You may step down. Miss Guevara, can you take the stand please?"

"… Sure," she said offhandedly as she walked up to the stand.

"Miss Guevara, can you tell me about your relationship with Miss McEachin?"

Max smiled at her girl. She cleared her throat, preparing to elaborate on her special bond with Original Cindy when suddenly she became very still. Her eyes dilated and she appeared to go into a catatonic state. A vision flashed before Max's eyes.

_People all over Seattle were dropping like flies, clutching their throats. She walked through the streets, which were littered with corpses. She saw young men, old women, even young children with their eyes rolled back in their heads. She saw Sketchy and Original Cindy draw their last breaths, looking at her with grim expressions. She shook her friends, desperate to rouse them and bring them back to life. Then she turned to see Logan gasping for air. Terrified, she rushed to his side and held him close. 'Logan, don't leave me…' she whispered. Logan smiled at her, grimaced in pain, and died in her arms. She looked beyond his body to see Ames White grinning happily. He laughed and outstretched his arms. 'This city belongs to us now,' he crooned. Max looked at the all of the bodies on the ground and started to sob in despair. _

And then, she understood what was happening. "It's coming," she whispered into the air.

Author's Note: Up next there will be a new story, since the title of this one will no longer be appropriate. I'll be taking a little bit longer to get it posted since I have to figure out what I want Sandeman to be like and what his agenda is. I always thought the 'creator' of Manticore was an interesting twist in the story. The title is 'Finding Sandeman'… stay tuned! 


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